Kids Will Go Wild Over Belize’s Green Iguana Conservation Project

November 27, 2024
by Belize Hub +

Belize Green Iguana Conservation Project

Who says you have to take the kids to expensive 3D films to see what life on Earth looked like millions of years ago? Save the cash and use it to bring them to Belize to meet the relatives of these scale-covered creatures in person at the Green Iguana Conservation Project instead. You’re welcome to accompany them and share the journey back in time, and if your trip to Belize happens to stimulate your kid’s brains, don’t be surprised if they actually look forward to geology and science classes in the future.

Why you should visit the Green Iguana Conservation Project

This landmark conservation project has no equal in the Caribbean, so you get to see the fleshed out image Miriam Roberson and Daniel Velasquez had for an Iguana refuge back in 1996. Concerned that these reptiles were decreasing in alarming numbers, these two ecological seers launched a movement that culminated with the establishment of the Green Iguana Conservation Project headquartered at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. Years have passed. As Iguana populations are restored, the behaviors of these scaly creatures have been chronicled, showcased and explored at what is currently ranked the #1 attraction in San Ignacio!

Where in Belize is it located?

San Ignacio is a small but vibrant town situated within the Cayo District and along the Macal River.

Advertisment

When is the best time to go?

Any time of year is good, since this experience is headquartered at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, but if you travel during low season, when kids are out of school, you can take advantage of budget-friendly travel prices.

Best way to get here

If you’re flush, fly into San Ignacio via Belize City with Tropic Air. Alternately, rent a car and take the fully-paved Western Highway to San Ignacio. Be prepared to traverse one-way bridges coming and going. You can try the bus system from Belize City, but if you prefer a less-crowded option, taxis, rental cars, minivans and shuttles are good transportation choices.

Best way to experience the Green Iguana Conservation Project

Iguanas were called Itzamna by ancient Mayans and this knowledge can be valuable during the one-hour Project tour at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel where you’ll learn more about how Iguanas are incubated, hatched and reared. Find out how the Iguana catch-and-release program works to help project scientists keeps tabs on these little animals, and if you’re onsite when Iguanas are released back into the wild, you could witness this exciting event. The Project’s Adopt an Iguana Program is particularly popular, as is the Iguana Kids Club. Support both and your contribution helps raise funds to sustain the project and fund scholarships for those seeking to study these primitive-looking creatures. You might even bump into researchers, but the highlight of your trip could be learning how to feed Iguanas! There’s a reason kids go wild here as their minds and hearts are opened to this amazing conservation program: experiential learning beats books every time!